A Different View
by Vianne Lee
Summary: What happens to CIA Agent Sands? Short story. Please R&R.


A Different View

Every morning Adriana would pass by the run-down restaurant, a sad, lonely building of red brick. And every morning, a man would be sitting up against the building, a different book open in his lap, but he'd just be looking straight ahead; not at the words that sailed across the pages, or at the many Passer Byers on their way to work. He just gazed straight ahead, as if he were waiting for something. It was the same, rain or shine – dark sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and he gazed out of them like he was seeing a different view each morning.

Finally, after weeks of passing by the man, the curiosity had gotten the best of Adriana and she decided at least she could to was talk to this mysterious man. "Hola," she said pleasantly.

The man didn't turn his head. "Hola," he muttered.

" Tú Americano, si?" The man only nodded. "Entonces yo presumir tu hablar ingles?" She asked, hoping the man could speak English. Although she had been in Mexico for a few months, her Spanish wasn't very good.

"Si, Yo presumir tu hablar ingles como bein?" The man asked, still only half interested in their conversation.

"Yes," Adriana replied relieved. Finally someone else of her native tongue! "You mind if I sit down?"

"It's not my sidewalk. Do as you please." He stated bluntly.

"Thanks," she awkwardly sat down beside him. "I'm Adriana," she introduced herself, offering him a hand.

"Sheldon," he replied, but didn't return her gesture.

"You sit here every morning." Adriana finally said trying to think of something to say that might strike conversation.

"You pass by here every morning."

"What is it that you're reading?" She'd try a different approach. He appeared to be interested in books; perhaps they could click from there.

"Nothing," he sighed and ran his hand along the crease of the book. This puzzled Adriana, but looking at her watch, she realized she'd be late for work if she didn't leave shortly.

"I have to take off," she said standing up, using the wall for support. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?" The man didn't say anything and Adriana continued on her way, just like every day.

Another week went by, and Adriana walked by the building at the same time each morning, and each morning Sheldon was still sitting there. She didn't completely ignore the man in black, and each time she thought he was looking at her, she waved and smiled, but he never waved back. Finally, one morning she left her home early and decided to attempt to get to know the man again.

She sat down next to Sheldon. "Hello," he said with a sigh "You're early." He continued to look straight ahead.

"Hi." She paused. "I wave at you every morning, but you never wave back." She blurted. She might as well start the conversation with something he couldn't exactly avoid answering to.

Sheldon shrugged his shoulders. "Hmmm…I must not see you."

"How can you not possibly not see me? I walk right in front of you every morning and you're always looking at me." Adriana was getting frustrated with the man's hopelessly lax answers.

"Bad eyes, I guess."

"Don't you work? Or have somewhere you need to be every morning?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Okay then," Adriana was now more baffled then confused. Suddenly, she had an idea. "I tell you what. Why don't you have breakfast with me tomorrow – 7:00 at Rosa Café."

"I could do that," The man said.

Adriana walked through the doors of Rosa Café at seven o' clock the next morning. She noticed Sheldon sitting at a table at the far corner of the shop, staring straight ahead as he always did. For the first time, Adriana really studied the man's features. He was lean, but muscular, and of average height. His black hair flowed straightly from his head and was about the length of his low jaw-point. It was tucked neatly behind his ears revealing prominent cheekbones and a cutting jaw line. But one thing remained the same. The sunglasses.

She walked over to the table and sat down across from him "Good Morning," she said pleasantly. Sheldon only nodded. A waitress dressed in a teal dress with a white apron approached the table.

" qué lata Yo conseguir tu?" the waitress asked ready to take their orders.

"tequila con lima." Sheldon said and the waitress stared at the clock on the wall and shrugged. A tequila this early in the morning? Whatever, he was a paying customer and if he asked for a tequila, he'd get a tequila.

"Coffee, agradar" Adriana said and the waitress left to fulfill their orders.

Adriana questioned why she had asked this man out for breakfast. Sure, she knew the man's name, but nothing more. She liked to take risks, but no matter how hard she tried to spark conversation, she could never get the man to say more than a couple of words. There was something she wasn't seeing about this man - something dark, and secretive, and she sensed it was right in front of her nose.

"It's...uh... lovely weather we're having today, isn't it?" she asked, gazing outside the window at the hot and shabby Mexican city.

"I wouldn't know." was all he said.

What? She was just becoming more and more confused the more she talked to the man...was he like a Gandhi figure or something?

The waitress brought out their drinks. She placed a steaming cup of auburn, coffee in front of Adriana, and a small shot glass of tequila in front of Sheldon. Adriana slowly sipped her coffee, staring at Sheldon, who seemed to be staring directly at her. He didn't touch his tequila; in fact, she didn't think he realized the waitress had brought it out to him.

Then she realized the evident. The man was a total pothead! God, why didn't she notice it before? She had asked a freaking pothead out to breakfast. This sure set a high notch on the creeps SHE had asked out. All the signs were there. The way he acted - distant from the world and disconnected. And the sunglasses! He wore the sunglasses to hide his eyes - probably completely and totally glazed over, and strung out. She had asked out a pothead – an all time low.

Okay, no big deal, she told herself. I'll finish my coffee, pay the tab, and leave. She would never talk to Sheldon again.

"Why did you ask me to have breakfast with you?" Sheldon spoke. His voice was soft, and gentle - soothing.

"I don't know. I thought you looked nice, you know? I like to take risks." She said wondering why she had asked him out herself.

"If you wanted something from me, you're going to be disappointed." He said and she just stared at him completely speechless and baffled. "You haven't figured it out yet, have you?" he chuckled.

Figured what out? The fact he was a total drug-addict? Yeah, she was way past figuring that out, but by the way he said it, she wasn't so sure that was it.

"Figured what out?" she asked in a timid whisper.

"Lean closer," he said and she did. She leaned so close to his face that she could feel his breaths brush her cheeks. He brought a hand up to his sunglasses and slid them down along his nose until she could see his eyes - or would have seen his eyes. She gasped, but didn't jerk backwards like so many others did. Instead, she gazed into his eye sockets, hollows of flesh, and realized that if he did have eyes, they would be shimmering and smiling.

Sometimes, when a woman gazes into the eyes of a man, she falls in love - just like that. And it was the same with Adriana. When she stared into the eye sockets of Sheldon, she fell in love. "You're still here," he whispered with surprise. This time it was Adriana's turn to say nothing, and she gently kissed his lips.

The End copyright©VianneLee2004


End file.
